3. Ryan Kerrigan vs. Donald Stephenson
Ryan Kerrigan just needs a single sack on Sunday to reach double digits for the third time in his career. He will have a chance to do that against Donald Stephenson.
Stephenson has not been a very good tackle for the Broncos. He came to the team in the 2016 offseason as a potential starter or a swing tackle. He spent most of his time at right tackle and played very poorly. Midway through the season, he was benched and he came into the 2017 campaign as a backup. An injury to Menelik Watson has since forced him into action, but he has not performed well.
Kerrigan is going to have an easy time beating Stephenson. The recent Pro Bowl nominee is a do-it-all pass rusher with physical and athletic moves and above all else, great hands at the point of attack. That will be difficult for Stephenson to deal with, and that will likely allow Kerrigan to get some major heat on Brock Osweiler or whoever else is at quarterback on Sunday.
If Kerrigan can win this battle repeatedly, then the Broncos offense will never get a chance to get going. This is the key defensive battle for the Redskins and expect an aggressive game plan in regards to the pass rush.